RuBy
by Jessaminebell
Summary: What if the story had changed? What if only one of the three had made it out?


Ruby

-Driven to insanity by the loneliness and solitude that was her life, this very sad painting took it upon herself to change the life-style she was born to. By any means necessary would she rescue herself. Even if those means took a bloody and sinister turn.

_-Mary, Mary, quite contrary, took her knife against Ib, the girl herself so unwary._

-Though this state of mind fogged over this girl's true colors, a speck of humanity was there. If only a speck. She was terribly alone. Anyone in such a circumstance would cling desperately at the chance to leave their hell.  
Abandoned, hopeless, terribly depressed with her lack of humanity, this girl took her turn in the darkness.  
-But what if she wasn't the only one?

RuBy

-"I don't want to have to do this, Mary, but.. You tried to hurt Ib.. I just can't risk that." The man held the lighter with a more determined grip. He would save this child he had grown attached to. Even if he was a failure. Even if he had nothing to live for, he could make sure she did. Ib would live.  
-"PLEASE, GARY! IT'S NOT WHAT.. Please... I just don't.." The blonde child before the duo stared with a certain sadness. The terribly messy room to which they all stood to was her home. It was where her very spirit rest, even if only by painting.  
-The pallet knife was still the object to which held Gary's interest, not the growing tears to Mary's eyes. She tried her best to wipe them with her free hand, yet that was an impossible task. She only succeeded in smearing the wet liquid down her cheeks and across her face.  
-"I just.. I just don't want to be alone anymore. When you two came in, when I met you two.. I wasn't alone anymore. If you leave, I'll have to be alone.. Again.. I don't want that.." Her demeanor in those moments changed. It was no longer full of a typical hysterical puppet, but of someone filled to their breaking point with indescribable torture and loneliness. Gary could sense that.  
-His grip on the lighter finally loosened, his sympathy restricting the muscles. Even the thought of Ib's safety did not help with this action.  
-"Mary.." The silence rang eerily through the air.  
-A decision that could never be made. Nothing this important could truly be resolved with all intentions thoroughly pure. Nothing, Gary realized, smiling. Nothing could be solved.  
-Through this confident and warm grin, Gary's plan was figured by all. He dropped the lighter, striding over to the girl in the distance. The sight of the pallet knife did nothing to his nerves. Not at this point.  
-"Mary, I can do it." Those words were a bullet to Ib, yet her slight flinch went unseen. Only the blue eyes now locking into Gary's mattered at the moment.  
-"Gary.." Mary muttered, tears ceasing.  
-He only nodded, placing a hand to her head. This man gave the painting a simple pat, laughing.  
-"It's alright. I'll be fine. You and Ib can leave, and I'll stay here. Really, I don't really have all that much on the outside world. You two have so much ahead of you, so.." Even with such confidence in himself, his words came out wavy. They were shaken and stirred, Mary noticing another fact.  
-"Gary, you're crying.." Slowly, yet steadily, those droplets of existing pain streamed from his eyes. They dropped to the ground without a sound.  
-"Crap.. I, uh.. I really.." He tried to make his way through the very mine encrusted field, yet it was inevitable to realize the feelings this man was experiencing. He would be alone. He would be depressed, even suicidal. How could anyone know that and smile? Such a reviewing process took over in this man's mind. It created that very same silence again, yet this time, it was broken by the lone girl he had all but forgotten about.  
-The slight noise of a spark igniting.  
-Before any of those in the room could realize what that sound meant, a terrible scream was issued.  
-Gary's eyes widened as Mary's dress caught aflame. Her distressed and pleading eyes begged him for help, yet he could only stare back in shock. The fire spread rather quickly, consuming this girl in burning flesh and embers. Before long, a mere pile of ash replaced Mary's petite figure.  
-Silence.  
-"Ib.. Ib.. What did you.." Gary turned his head slowly, almost as if the answer would never be reached if he did so. -The truth is always too terribly cruel.  
-Not his Ib. Not his innocent, pure, nice, Ib.  
-Sure enough, this girl to which he had only recently met avoided his eyes. Was there a reason?  
-The painting that had been so carefully and lovingly crafted hung behind her in complete shambles. Just as Mary was, this paper was just ash lying to the ground. The evidence was crushing. The lighter held to this child's hand should have been swept away. Mother said not to touch such things, didn't she? What a naughty child for playing with an adult item.  
-"You would have left, Gary.." A child's wish to keep all things the same. To never have to sacrifice something truly cherished and loved. It was so simple of a wish, and yet.. And yet, the anger now enveloping Gary could not be soothed.  
-"Ib! Don't you know what you've done!? You KILLED Mary! It doesn't matter that I would have lived, or she would have! If you gave us more time.." His shouts only succeeded in frightening the young girl. His steps towards her made Ib sidestep him. She was soon in front of the pile of ashes now cooled to room temperature.  
-"Gary, you're scaring me!" She flinched as the man started to scream again.  
-"What if all of us could have made it out, Ib!? What then? What would be the purpose of killing her!? Answer me!" -His rational thoughts were being consumed by anger just as the small girl in the pine green dress had been by flames. Gary grabbed Ib's arm, digging his fingers to the blouse.  
-"Gary that hurts-"  
-"Would you please just tell me why the hell you did that!?"  
-She struggled to move free, the strain causing Ib to fall to the ground. Her sobs were still ignored by this man as he went for another grab.  
-"IB-"  
-This scene had happened so fast. Everything had fallen into place so quickly, even the reach for the pallet knife was too fast to be measured. All slowed to a more readable pace as the crimson spilled from Gary's chest. As the reality of his attack and his shoutings dawned to him, Gary recoiled. He deeply regretted such an action, yet not just because of what he had driven her to do. The terror stained eyes and horror filled breaths were everything he needed for his lament.  
-"GARY...! I... I.." Tears began to spill from her eyes as well.  
-What had she done?  
-"Ib.. No.. I'm... I'm sorry, Ib." Gary pressed a hand to his stomach, a burning pain making itself known as he did. -More crimson even yet came from his stomach, and with this, Ib rushed over.  
-"Gary, your stomach! I have to stop it! You're hurt bad.. I have to-" What plan could a child make to solve this problem with no solutions? The very thought made a smile appear to Gary's face. He raised the blood stained hand from his abdomen, placing it to the child's head.  
-"Ib... Don't worry... Just go.. You have to get out of here. Please, at least.. At least leave here... I'm sorry to have.. I'm sorry to have made you do this, but.. You had to.. So.. No regrets... Okay?" His pattern of speech was much more calculated and slow. Ib noticed this right away, grabbing the hand to her head.  
-"Gary..!" She whined, tears increasing.  
-No, nothing could be done.  
-No matter the amount of times this very sad and very alone girl cried for this man, he never responded. Even so, a smile was kept to his face. Would the very same smile always be there? The girl wondered. Until the moment she stepped into the painting of the art gallery, the thoughts of regret swirled in her mind. Scenarios in which she had not done something so rash. Scenarios to which Gary was still with her.  
-Smiling.

rUbY

-The painting staring at the girl suddenly came into focus. She wonders how long she had been standing there, just gazing into the swirling colors of this masterpiece. Even if she couldn't understand a single brush stroke, the wonder would never cease. Most of all, she wonders what she was doing.  
-Almost acting on impulse, this girl walks over to another painting. Her loafers click quite quietly, as she does not weigh very much at all. She stops to a certain one, ogling it quite closely.  
-"The.. Blue R-Rose?" She sounds out, glancing towards the picture.  
-Captured to the scene was a very sad man. The crimson strokes wrapping his very tattered coat seemed so lifelike, as if his smiling lips and breaths would be felt with a single touch.  
-The girl feels sad for a moment.

-She wonders why.


End file.
